


Keep the monsters away

by Notevenwinded



Category: Captain America (2011), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-09
Updated: 2012-06-09
Packaged: 2017-11-07 09:46:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/429625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Notevenwinded/pseuds/Notevenwinded
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve keeps having the same nightmares. Tony decides to do something about this despite Steve's protest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keep the monsters away

Steve waking up covered in sweat, his palm placed on his chest, panting for air wasn’t an unusual sight for Tony.

Ever since their relationship took a whole different turn and they started spending their nights in Tony’s king size bed, Tony got accustomed to Steve’s nightmares. The first couple of times he pretended that he didn’t notice, and stayed awake until he made sure that Steve’s breath returned to normal. The Captain wasn’t exactly up for talking about the content of them, and Tony didn’t want to pressure him, especially after their first nights together, when Tony was the one that had a horrible nightmare. Steve woke him up, shaking his shoulders, and it was then when he realised that he was shaking, the trembling stopping as soon as Steve pulled him close. He didn’t have to explain, Steve knew that he dreamt about those months in that cave, years ago. After all, he had seen the footage, even if Tony didn’t want him to do so. He didn’t want Steve to treat him differently because of them, but he was pleased when Steve didn’t give him that treatment.

And the nightmares stopped after a while, but when Steve started to have them, Tony was worried. Steve was strong and could handle almost everything with ease, which sometimes made Tony forget that he wasn’t only supposed to deal with Captain America, his partner was above all Steve Rogers, even though he tried to lock that weaker and needy part of him away.

When Tony tried to mention Steve’s nightmares to him one morning, he only managed to get Steve slightly annoyed as he refused everything.

_“You were probably dreaming, Tony. I slept just fine last night”_

Despite Tony’s attempts to ignore it, Steve’s groans in his sleep kept Tony awake. He wouldn’t bear it, he couldn’t accept that Steve didn’t want his help to get over this. The thought that Steve kept things hidden from him, even though he tried everything to make Tony open up to him instead, didn’t seem fair. Because, one of the things that Tony hated but also was thankful for being with Steve was that he changed him, made him a better person, taught him how to share his burden with him. Right now, Steve was doing _exactly_ what he taught Tony not to do.

That particular night seemed different. They went to bed at the same time, something that was almost rare amongst them, Tony always stayed up late working on everything he could think of, and Steve was retiring to the bedroom, bored and hoping that Tony would get the hint. Eventually, Tony would sneak in after a quick shower, and take his side of the bed, careful not to wake Steve up, even though they both knew he was wide awake.

Steve pulled his pillow to the side of the bed, and Tony did the same, since one way or another they ended up face to face in the morning.

Just like any other night, Tony stayed awake until he made sure that Steve was asleep. When he finally heard the man’s light snoring, he closed his eyes, trying to drift away to sleep.

The nightmares happened way earlier in the night than other times. Tony sat up quickly, looking over Steve, who was shaking more visibly than any other time. Drops of sweat were rolling down his forehead, his light gray shirt already stained. He was holding tightly on the bed sheets, his teeth gritting together. What scared Tony the most though, were the screams. They occurred so often, and it felt like Steve was actually calling for help.

With all his strength, Tony shook Steve violently, trying to wake him up.

“Steve!Steve,wake up!Steve!”, he called, again and again, trembling as he did so.

It took him a couple of minutes, but eventually Steve’s eyes went wide open, shoving Tony away. “Tony!”, he shouted, turning around, relieved to find him there. He breathed heavily, taking deep breaths and letting them out, pushing his hair back over and over again.

“Steve?”, Tony asked, as soon as Steve seemed to calm down. “I think it’s time to talk about this”, he said calmly, facing Steve.

“I don’t want to say anything right now”, Steve replied without waiting for Tony to finish his request.

“No, you know what? I’ve hand enough for this, we will talk and get over this, whenever you like it or not”, Tony insisted, sounding as determined as ever.

“I’ll get the couch tonight”, Steve huffed, reaching for his pillow and turning around to put his socks on.

Tony wasn’t exactly a man of patience, and Steve’s defensive attitude wasn’t something he was willing to accept, especially after that night. He quickly hopped over the bed and stood over the blonde, looking down at him.

“No, you’re staying here and we will talk about your nightmares. Steve, they’re getting worse, you have to let me-”

“You don’t have to deal with this, I got it”, Steve replied, sounding agitated. “I think it’s better for you to get some sleep now”

“I know what those nightmares are about”, Tony stopped him. “It’s about them, right?”

Steve didn’t exactly talk to Tony about his past, but he occasionally dropped a couple of things. Tony was a smart guy, he figured out how to piece the information together, did his research, read the files. He knew about Peggy, Bucky, even his father and everyone else that fought alongside Steve during the war.

“I know what PTSD stands for, I know you keep thinking about them and how you.. that you’re not going to see them again”, he carried on, softening his voice.

The captain let out a long sigh, taking a moment to bury his face into his palms before maintaining his posture.

“No, Tony, you don’t know what they are about”, he finally said.

“Then talk to me, let me help”, the billionaire tried to encourage.

“You have enough in your head, Stark, I’ll take care of this myself”, Steve replied firmly.

“Now you see, that’s where you’re wrong, Rogers, don’t you get it?”, Tony snapped. “You tried to talk me into how important is that people talk about their problems when they are into a committed relationship, lectured me so much when I was hiding things from you and right now you think you can make me forget all about that. You’re not going anywhere, you’re going to talk to me about the nightmares. We’re supposed to help each other, how am I supposed to feel good when you’re not letting me pay you back for all the good you’ve done? You’re not a soldier when it’s just us, Steve. You don’t have to do all this alone, I’ll help”. He sat down, next to Steve, looking at him in a way that would force an answer out of him.

Steve let out another sigh, but this time he seemed more pleased with Tony’s words. After all, he was allowed to feel proud of what Tony became, of how he changed him for the best.

“You were wrong, it’s not about them”, he finally said. “To be honest, at first, all the nightmares were about them but this.. changed now”

Tony’s hand hesitantly moved closer, eventually patting softly Steve’s palm. Steve smiled at that sight, and gently closed his hand around Tony’s.

“I kept seeing myself, laughing happily around them, and next thing I knew I was there, standing alone and they were all gone. After we.. got to know each other, the nightmares were still there, but it ended good, you always appeared next to me after they were gone, and I could always go back to sleep. But then..”, he said, his grip tightening around Tony’s hand. “The nightmare always started with us two together, and ended with me alone again.. sometimes I would see you.. well.. not alive”, finished, swallowing down a whimper.

Tony watched him carefully, his heart feeling heavy when he noticed the distress in Steve’s voice, and let go of his hand, pulling him close to a tight hug instead.

For a few moments, neither of them said anything. Steve eventually lifted his own arms, wrapping them around Tony’s waist. It was comforting, even though no words were being said.

The older man was the one to break the silence.

“Come here, we’ll try this”, he nodded, letting go and leaning back on the bed, positioning the two pillows next to each other on the centre of the bed. With a reassuring shake of his head, he pulled Steve close, so they were back on the bed, their shoulders touching.

After adjusting himself better, he put an arm around Steve’s head, touching him firmly yet softly. Steve got even closer, his head resting on top of Tony’s chest, the warm heat and buzzing sound emerging from his reactor acting like his personal lullaby. Before Tony could make sure that Steve was comfortable, he realised that his partner was fast asleep and smiled to himself.

The next morning, none of them seemed to recall another nightmare attack. Steve confirmed it, and so he did the next night. He could get used to this, sleeping next to Tony, drifting away peacefully, the reactor’s light keeping the dark away from them.

“Hey,Tony?”, he said, one night while they were taking their usual positions to sleep.

“Yeah?”, Tony asked with a yawn, fixing his night shirt.

Steve smiled at him, placing a soft, gentle kiss on his lips, before pulling away, looking at him with so much adoration gleaming from his bright blue eyes.

“Thank you”

Tony returned the smile and ran his fingers through the blonde’s hair. “Hey, that’s what I do”, he replied with a soft chuckle.

The captain was fast asleep yet again before him, but all that mattered to Tony right now was the fact that he, Tony Stark, actually helped Steve Rogers in a way nobody could. He was the one that could fight off the bogeyman, the only one able to defend the mighty Avenger, and all that by doing one thing he thought he could never do; love someone so dearly and unconditionally.  


End file.
